Ivory
by Elissa Alejandra
Summary: Sarah promises to return to Jareth on her deathbed and he has sealed that oath. Now, years have passed and she has returned. But she has found refuge with a strange band of misfits, along with their captain. The Goblin King's hunt for Sarah has now begun
1. Chapter 1

Sarah fought to keep her eyes open. She knew her time was coming soon. But she wasn't ready for it just yet. She had to do one last thing before she left her world. She waited, waited patiently; she knew he would come.

She let her eyes wander around her hospital room; the only sound was the steady beep of the monitor by her bedside. The stark white was a great contrast to the myriad of brightly colored flowers that adorned her room. Crowding every extra tabletop, even the floor next to her bed were nearly dozens of vases full of flowers. Sweet perfumes filled the air, intoxicating and mystical.

But it brought her no joy. Very soon now she would pass over, leaving everything behind.

She sighed, reaching her frail fingertips to her temple, remembering the long, lustrous black hair she once had in her youth. Now it fell only to her thin shoulders in waves of silver and gray.

Her two grown sons now carried the youth and beauty their mother once had. They were her pride and joy from the moment she brought them into this world. This world she would soon be leaving.

She loved her children just as much as she loved their father. She did not find it at all ironic that he was British, tall, and had a well-kept head of golden blonde hair. He was a fine actor, just as she was back in her day. Days that brought her fame, wealth, and happiness as the actress she always dreamed of being.

She lived her life to the fullest extent, yet was careful not to take anything for granted. She took in the glamour, and counted just as many blessings of prosperity and happiness. She had small roles first, earning her a means to get by. Then the offers began to seep in slowly yet steadily. Before she knew it, she was winning Golden Globes, then a SAG award, and finally she was able to take home several Oscars. She won world-wide recognition, yet somehow managed to keep a level head on her shoulders.

She never once wondered how she managed to do that. She knew exactly how she did it, and now she was finally coming to terms with the one who made her who she was in her final hour.

She was angry when she first found out. She was still young, not even sixty years. Cancer. It was only a matter of time before it spread throughout her body, and then it would be too late. Treatment would have been too risky at her late stage, and after much thought, she decided this was the only way. She would have done it with or without the consent of her family. She signed the papers personally and with witnesses.

She was becoming wearier with each passing moment. It was only a matter of time.

She sighed again, closing her eyes, easing herself into the pillows. She wanted to be alone now, without her family, while she waited.

Her breathing was becoming shallow. Now was the time.

Sarah closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. She knew what must be done, the name that must be said; she'd imagined saying it for so long. "Jareth… Goblin King…"

She had remembered a storm, the lightning and thunder that preceded his visit; the owl bursting into the room and a sparkling shower of magic that announced his arrival. She held her breath now, but even this was beginning to strain her frail body.

She finally opened her eyes.

He looked exactly as he had the first time he appeared to her in her parent's bedroom when she was only fifteen years old. She had not seen him since her time in the Labyrinth.

"Sarah." His voice was low, still seductive, with the slightest trace of malice. He leaned casually against the wall, his arms folded over his chest. "You still remember me after all these long years. How touching." He nearly sneered at his last remark.

"I never forgot, Jareth," Sarah's voice a mere whisper.

He regarded coolly for a moment. "So," he uncrossed his arms and casually made his way over to her deathbed. "What do you wish of me?" His mismatched eyes gleamed with secretive mirth as he regarded Sarah in her frail and weakened state. "Do you wish for your youth? A cure, perhaps? Or are you finally coming to your senses and wishing yourself away to me?" He smirked knowingly and cocked his head at her.

Sarah frowned and cast her eyes downward. "No. I accept my fate. I am ready to die."

Jareth's smile immediately faded and he flinched noticeably. "What a pity."

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back with a sigh. "I did not call you to make a wish worthy only for young girls."

"Why the devil am I here then, Sarah?" the Goblin King demanded sharply.

"I wanted to tell you something, I wanted to make a promise," she responded, her voice shaking.

The Goblin King tilted his head. "A promise?" he repeated in a distant tone, his eyes narrowing. "What kind of a promise?"

"First," she began hesitantly, "first I must tell you my feelings. My thoughts that I've long kept hidden."

"What do you mean?" The Goblin King looked astonished for a moment. "What thoughts?"

"Jareth," she nearly choked out. "If there is one, single regret I have," she hesitated for a moment, finding her courage. "I have lived my life… I love my husband and my children, but… I am not entirely happy. I do not wish for this now, but if I could go back anytime after that night in the Labyrinth… then I would have called for you." She paused, letting him assimilate this, but his face remained expressionless. "Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"

Jareth's face suddenly fell. His eyes narrowed suspiciously and he started back, discouraged and equally baffled. "You tell me this now," he accused. "You purposely tell me this now," his lips were set in a cruel line. "And on your deathbed no less. You little fool…"

"I am no fool," Sarah snapped, taken aback from his sudden hostility. But she had been well prepared for something like this. She really could not blame him for his reaction. Her manner softened as his words slowly sank in. "I know what you were trying to offer me. Perhaps I was too young to understand, perhaps I was too stubborn. But then perhaps I also knew right from wrong."

Jareth turned back to Sarah, his face slightly more composed. "Did you still believe in all of that after my Labyrinth?"

"I believed in myself, yet I never trusted myself either."

He raised one sculpted eyebrow in question.

She had nearly forgotten how truly magnificent he was. "I resisted for so long. Yet, I knew if I let myself give into my temptation," she looked up with weary, tear-filled eyes, "there would be no going back."

He blinked and breathed heavily through his aquiline nose. "What is this promise you wish to make, Sarah?"

He stood next to her, but didn't look down. He kept his a cold mask on his beautiful face, but his eyes betrayed him. Even through the mist of her eyes she could see a profound disappointment in them; he was clearly struggling with this sudden confession.

She had to hurry. There was not much time…

"Do you believe in reincarnation, Jareth?"

Now he looked down at her, his arched eyebrows nearly furrowing together in confusion. "I beg your pardon?"

"Reincarnation," she repeated. "When the soul returns from the afterlife to this earthly world." She reached out to him, her weak hand trembling. But he would have none of it. Jareth withdrew from her touch and turned away, walking back to the window.

She stared at him helplessly. "Please…" She could feel herself becoming tired, distant. "I'm dying," she choked. "Did you not want me once so badly that you broke nearly every rule of common decency to keep me? Will you not even hear me out now? Grant me this one last thing, Jareth. Please."

Her last word was dripping with intense desperation that he could not ignore any further.

The Goblin King was and always had been very much in love with Sarah. To hear this from her now was infuriating, to say the least. But it also brought a little flicker of joy and comfort that he lacked in his life for so long. His polished black leather boots rang on the tile as he came to her bedside again. He finally reached out to her, and caressed her soft cheek with one gloved finger. She had aged beautifully, even when she so close to her death.

Suddenly, it finally hit him that his beloved Sarah was truly dying. He remembered when she defeated him so long ago. He was angry and bitter, but never lost hope that she would somehow return to him. When she began to pursue her dreams of the stage and the screen with zeal and fierce determination, he slowly grew proud of his Sarah. He alone took credit for the fact that she had grown from a spoiled little girl to a practical and equally wise young woman. He spent every spare moment watching her from his crystals and from the shadows of her world.

But he stopped watching her completely when she took a husband. He was not in the least amused that he was the closest human being to ever resemble him. It should have been him, and he never fully recovered from her decision to marry. It only infuriated him once again, and became just as bitter as he had been before. Out of his misery, he proceeded to shut himself away from the world of his Labyrinth.

But he did manage to bring himself to conjure one crystal to look upon her children. Even if he did have the power to take them, he couldn't bring himself to. Her half-brother Toby was different. Her sons were Sarah's own flesh and blood, and when he caught one glance at the both of them, it nearly broke his own heart. They should have been his children.

Yet for nearly fifty years he never stopped hoping…

His precious Sarah was dying now. He sat on her bed next to her frail body and savored the feel of her, the fading nearness of her…

Filled with remorse and heartache, he gently wrapped his arms around her and rested his cheek against her forehead.

"Will you forget me?" she murmured. "When I am dead and gone?" Her chest was tight with the urge to weep.

"Don't say such things," he chided quietly. Even when she was old and dying, he still saw a young and spirited fifteen year old girl. "I shall never forget you, my Sarah."

She shuddered underneath his touch, underneath his soft words. She could still feel his magic, his intoxicating warmth surrounding her…

He held her tighter, seeming to fight against Death itself with his grasp. "Can't you see you will be branded into my memory while you are at peace?" He smoothed his fingers over her cheek once more. "Why did you betray your own heart, Sarah?"

"I will not be at peace, Jareth. Forgive me," her voice was quiet, but dripping with deep fervor. "Forgive me for what I have done."

One gloved hand rested on her cheek, stroking it pensively. "Yes... I forgive you…"

She fought to breathe, hands closing almost too hard around his arms, holding her. His hand caressed her cheek lovingly. "I swear…" she took a deep, shaky breath, "I swear to you I will return," she told him desperately.

Jareth sat silently, his eyes staring ahead almost trance-like. He was in a state of numb shock and felt as if his heart had nearly stopped at her promise. But it was Sarah's that refused to beat any longer. He held her until she closed her eyes, lost her breath, and wilted in his arms. She was dead.

He continued to smooth her cheek with his gentle hands absently. He trembled slightly, but after a long moment of silence accompanied by a long, shrill beep of the infernal machine next to her bed, he dropped his head into her neck. He did not weep; he did not even shed a single tear. He only breathed in her scent deeply, clutching her lifeless form to him.

His breathing was ragged and shallow but he managed to hiss into her ear as if she were still alive, "I will come for you. You will return… and when you do, I will come to claim you. You will belong to no one but me, as you yourself have promised." His face collapsed into an expression of enraged pain and of equal passion. "I will not rest until I find you, and through your own bloodline you will be reborn. You will return to me!"

His hand reached under her chin and her tilted her head back to kiss her lifeless lips. His kiss was not gentle. After a long moment, he tore himself away, afraid he would have broken every frail bone in her dead body if he held her any tighter.

He stood and looked down at her. She was beginning to lose any color she had left in her body. But she was still so lovely, even when her skin was turning cold from Death's touch. With eyes filling with bitter tears, he settled her back into her overstuffed pillows; his cold, pained mask put back into place.

As he stroked her cheek one last time, the nurses of the hospital came flying into the room.

Jareth stepped back and made him invisible to them. As the nurses rushed to Sarah's bedside, he continued to move away, keeping his eyes on the lifeless form of his precious love. He began to disappear completely from the room. There was nothing more to be done here.

But it was far from over. Now the Goblin King was determined to begin his search. She had promised him, and with his magic, he sealed that oath. He bound her to return to him from her own family bloodline. One of her own descendents would soon be reborn into the Sarah Williams he once worshipped and adored.

* * *

He waited. He waited patiently. Sometimes he was calm and sure, but more often than not, he was enraged beyond belief at the amount of time that had gone by. He locked himself in his Castle once again and waited for his Sarah to become reborn. But every time he felt another child of her line being born, it was never her.

He found it increasingly strange that every one of her descendents were males. Some were dark like her, others were blonde; others didn't survive their second week. But they were all males, not one female was born into her line.

Years had passed and no sign of one girl. But even if there had been one, he would have known if it was her. Yet it remained the same. Year after year, one decade after another. Soon, a century had passed. No birth of a girl in one century, or even within the next.

* * *

The Goblin King would often sit at his window overlooking his Labyrinth. It was here his hope would somewhat be regained. Sarah had once been here… centuries ago.

But on this one particular night when the moon did not appear in the velvet sky, the darkness took over, and he began to lose hope.

"Where have you gone?" he asked the still air.

The air did not respond.

"You swore to me."

Silence.

"And I bound you to it."

His self-control was slipping. How much longer would he wait? He rested his hands on the ledge of the balcony and ducked his head. His hissed through his teeth, feeling a sharp and sudden loss in his heart. Had the magic not worked? Was his magic fading now?

No, he still had some of his former power left. But the years of waiting had left him weak and anxiously obsessive.

* * *

Years had passed after that night… and now he felt it. He finally felt that sudden wave of pure, innocent female energy. A girl had finally been born.

And it was five hundred years later that Sarah Williams finally returned to the world of the living.

* * *

**AN:** So that didn't take too long. I was inspired to start this as soon as possible. This is not the sequel for A New Life. This is the new crossover I had mentioned and I hope this works. Enjoy!

Shalom y Amor


	2. The Miracle Child

After the Earth was used up, we found a new solar system, and hundreds of new Earths were terra-formed and colonized. The central planets formed the Alliance and decided all the planets had to join under their rule. There was some disagreement on that point. After the War, many of the Independents who had fought and lost drifted to the edges of the system, far from Alliance control. Out here, people struggled to get by with the most basic technologies; a ship would bring you work, a gun would help you keep it. A captain's goal was simple: find a crew, find a job, keep flying.

* * *

The young, dark-haired girl shut the door behind her as she entered her small room. Here she was sheltered from the harsh words of her father and stepmother, Karen. Karen never once liked her, or even wanted her. She was always a reminder of her father's first love, and of her beautiful mother – Lin. 

Lin had only been half-Chinese, but it was still enough to diminish her status among society in Ariel. Not only that, but she strongly opposed a Unification between all central and outer planets. She believed the Alliance would only bring anarchy and destruction to everyone if they were able to control the lives of everyone in the Universe.

"Not everyone wants to assimilate," she would often say among her lover's relatives. "It is our differences and the distinctions of our cultures that make human beings so unique and special. Why in the Universe would we need someone telling us how to think or how to act?"

Clearly, this did not still well with the supporters of Unification, which had turned out to be his entire social circle. And when Lin became pregnant with his child, it was pure scandal. Cast aside, the two impetuous lovers left the city and settled in the outskirts. It was not a hard life, but the shame of carrying a love child never entirely sat well with Richard, and Lin saw his disappointment everyday.

She soon gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. For both parents, the child had been a miracle. Never before in the family records had a girl been born to Richard's family line. His baby had been the first in quite possibly, centuries. Lin simply held a deep and unbreakable bond between mother and child. She swore that when her baby girl was born, her little body seemed to glow from the inside. A remarkable, white luminosity radiated from her baby's soft, delicate skin.

She named her Ivory.

Lin loved her child more than anything, and their years were spent in quiet solitude. Richard still mourned for the loss of his former life, but he stayed for the sake of his little miracle and for the mother, his one true love.

But Lin grew ill one night when Ivory was only twelve. No doctor from the city would come to their home, for fear of supporting a family of social exiles. The only person who would come was a nurse, recently retired from the city hospital. But there was not much she could do. The fever had taken hold of her internal organs, and it was not long before Lin gave in to her sudden illness. Before she died, she called her beloved daughter to her bedside and slipped a round, little jade into her hand. It was a simple carving of an owl. Only a few lines here and there indicated the wings and the head, but it was an owl nonetheless.

"Let it guide you through the darkness," she whispered to her child. "Have the wisdom to see, my precious little girl."

* * *

Soon after her mother died, her father was allowed to return to his family along with his child out of wedlock. Richard was welcomed back with open arms; it was almost as if his family and friends were glad that Lin, that little outspoken nuisance was gone. 

But it was never easy for Ivory. She lived out her adolescent years living with wealth she had never before even hoped to dream of. But she was also constantly reminded of her status as a bastard child. Granted, there were times when she was treated with decency because she was the first girl to be born into the family bloodline. But it was her dear mother and the circumstances into which she was born that led to looks of disappointment and irritation, even from her own family.

Her father was of course oblivious to all of it. As his wealth and prestige in society grew, the interest in the well-being of his own daughter waned. His attention stayed on his work and on the new image he was working for himself. Soon, he met and married the daughter of his company's manager. She was slim, blond, and treated Ivory like the pebble in her shoe. Ivory never once had to cook or clean for her new stepmother, but Karen reminded her everyday of how, even at birth, how unwanted and unloved she truly was. Karen saw her stepdaughter as a threat; as a reminder of the Oriental beauty that her new husband had given everything up for. Somehow Karen knew Richard would never do that for her.

Her stepmother never had to tell Ivory that her father had lost all interest in his daughter, Ivory already knew that. So, she avoided Karen as much as she could and withdrew into herself more and more.

Ivory had a decent education growing up, but her teenage years became increasingly difficult with each passing year. The children at the private schools knew all about her mother and they taunted her without mercy. They called her gou and hunzaizi. Dog and bastard. She never told anyone about the other children. Who would listen or who would even care?

She often dreamed of having a coming-of-age celebration in her honor. A magnificent gala inside a grand ballroom with dozens of members from high society, complete with a floating chandelier. She would have worn a fairy-tale gown of silver and white. Her hair would be how she always wanted it – an elaborate construction of curls and silver jewels intertwined within her dark strands. Lithe and decadent dancers would prance along the floor all night, and she would often imagine the number of young men that would have asked her to dance.

But she could only dream of it. She knew she could never have a party like that. She had very few friends and the few boys who had the courage to approach her had lost interest very quickly.

At first, she thought something was wrong with her besides her status. But as one boy after another began to avoid her almost fearfully, she knew it was something else. Or rather, someone else. Ever since she was a little girl she always felt someone watching her; a masculine presence that felt nothing like her father's. This was something strange and alien to her when she was a child. But as she matured and began to blossom into a lovely young woman, the presence became stronger and much more real. It terrified her at first, but she soon realized it was only out of her own curiosity and excitement that caused her fears. He had never shown herself to her, but sometimes especially at night when she was alone in her room, she could hear a faint rustle just behind her, or on some nights she could breathe in the scent of heady spices and leather. She became lost sometimes in those brief sensations, and lost all track of time during these moments of quiet seduction between her and her phantom visitor. She never once questioned herself. She knew she wasn't crazy or painfully lonely. He was real. He never appeared to her anywhere else but here in her room when she was alone. And he never spoke a word to her - nor she to him.

But he was always there, and she always knew he was watching her from the shadows, where the candlelight could not reach, where she could not see. Yet she relished these moments and looked forward to them at almost every waking moment.

But one early morning, when Ivory was fifteen, a baby boy was born to Karen and Richard.

Tabor had bright blue eyes and blonde hair, just like his mother. He was spoiled and doted upon by every relative that came to visit him. But Ivory felt a very special connection with her half-brother, despite the fact that he was already favored over her. Perhaps it was because Tabor took to her naturally, or perhaps it was a maternal instinct on her part. She played with him, watched him while he slept, and loved him like a sister should. She called him Toby for short.

Ivory's natural affection to her baby brother and the delight on Toby's face whenever he caught sight of her only made Karen more jealous toward her stepdaughter. But it was not only that.

Ivory truly was becoming a beautiful woman-child, and despite the fact Karen had given birth to a male heir, she still saw her as a reminder of her husband's affair. Lin's exotic beauty had definitely passed on to her daughter. Ivory did not carry any heavy Asian features, but her hair was as black as an Oriental ebony pane, lips as soft and pink as a lotus flower, her skin was as flawless as a porcelain vase, and she carried herself as gracefully as a well-trained Companion.

But even though Richard was not at all attentive to his daughter, he could not just throw her out of the house. It would not sit well with others now that he once again well-established. Not only that, his beautiful daughter was all that was left of Lin.

* * *

Five years had passed. Five long years of looks of disregard from her family and of public snubs. She learned to build a defensive wall around herself at all times. She was invited out very rarely and only by her aging grandmother or an uncle who needed to fill an extra seat at the theater. She held her head high among the crowds and refused to let her stride waver or lip tremble at the looks or the whispers. The faces of disapproval soon enough changed to looks of pity. 

"Such a beautiful, young woman," she would often hear, "if not for her mother… what a shame…"

She would return home afterwards, retreat to her room, and wait for her silent love to pass through and warm her miserable spirit. Tonight, when Karen and her father were fighting over her, tonight was one of those nights.

Her father knew Karen disliked, even hated his daughter but he could not believe she wanted to throw her out of the house. After an hour and a half of bickering and arguing, Richard had finally given in to his wife. Ivory would be sent away to live with relatives on an outer moon, far away from any of the central planets.

Karen had barged into her room soon afterwards and told Ivory through gritted teeth that she was to stay home and look after her stepbrother while they went to dinner and the theater. Even though there were several housekeepers that would have watched Toby, it didn't really matter to Ivory. She quietly agreed to watch her little brother, who was just about to turn five. And after her father and stepmother left, she sat inside her sanctuary, in darkness except for a few candles that dimly lit her room, casting a warm glow.

Ivory stared into her ornate vanity, into her own glittering, emerald eyes. She always knew she was different, she always had been. She never once felt like she belonged to this place, this world... She had always been alone, the outcast within society and her own family. And now, she knew she was being cast aside once again. She had heard almost every word her father and stepmother had said. She was going to leave the only home she ever knew. But it was never really a home to her. Not when she was always looked down on and mocked at every turn.

As the candlelight danced, licked, and tempted the shadows, she began to see tears forming in her eyes. She put a delicate hand to her soft cheek, and wondered how long she must wait before her phantom love would come to her.

It was not long.

A strong arm slipped suddenly around her waist. Ivory nearly fell over and screamed out of fright… she had never felt him touch her before. But he held her still as she hushed under the feel of one invisible hand smoothing her dark hair. She sat still out of fear, she could feel him touching her, but even as she gazed into her mirror, she still could not see so much as a face.

A soft, warm breath whispered across her cheek, and she shivered at the feel against her skin. A voice soon followed. A voice that was elegant and clipped; a strong British accent she would often hear among her father's peers. Her heart beat almost violently against her ribcage at the sound of it.

"Do not be afraid," he whispered, his breath warm against her ear. "I adore you…"

Ivory almost collapsed into a fit of tears. No one had said anything like that to her in years; and the intensity in his voice terrified and excited her beyond reason.

He took her hand in his, grasping it tightly and kept the other on her waist. Ivory watched, amazed as her hand was lifted upward by an unseen force and stopped just at her eyelevel. She then felt soft, sweet kisses on each finger. She swooned and he tightened his arms about her. As she sat back upright, fighting for breath, her free hand rose and her fingers felt for a face in the still air.

Then he appeared before her. The aquiline features gazed down at her, beautiful and striking. Short, choppy locks of golden hair framed his elegant face and fell over his eyes, but it did not dull his intense gaze, it only added to his dark mystery and power. A mocking smile played at the corners of his lips as he gazed down at the young girl he held in his arms.

Ivory gasped at the truly magnificent man who was standing before her, studying her intently. She felt her breath catch when she looked into his eyes. He had beautiful eyes, exotically shaped, one blue as the sky, the other brown as the earth. She felt like they could see straight into her soul. His lips were thin yet sensual, and her young body ached to have them touch her own.

Then he spoke again, his voice as exquisite as he was. "You are young. But soon you will become of age. When that time comes, I will come for you and you shall be with me."

Ivory bit her lip, and looked away.

"Will you give yourself to me then?"

She finally raised her eyes to meet his face, which was hovering inches above her own. His hands were still resting possessively around her waist, holding her still. She hesitated, her lip trembled slightly but she soon found her voice. "Yes," she whispered breathlessly. "Yes I will."

At her submission, he smiled and lowered his lips slowly to hers, taking a long moment to taste her bottom lip. Ivory immediately surrendered to the gentle touch and dipped her head back. But his kiss was swift and chaste. Her love pulled away for a moment, resting his forehead against hers in a private, intimate embrace. "Remember your promise to me."

Ivory's eyes darted across his face, completely mesmerized by him. "Who are you?" she asked in a soft whisper.

He caught her hand again, bringing it intentionally to his heart, which was beating with a powerful rhythm that only served to frighten and excite her all over again. "I am Jareth," his accented voice gracing his tongue, "and I have waited nearly an eternity for you."

Ivory blinked. How could this man have been waiting for her? She was nobody. No one had ever wanted her, besides her mother. Why would he?

She began to tremble underneath his touch, but his face softened considerably and reached out to touch her delicate face. "I will never harm you, Ivory," he murmured soothingly, like a soft lullaby in her ear as he began to stroke her thick, dark hair. He spent the next several minutes comforting her, and studying her.

She was the exact replica of his Sarah. The hair, the face, the body… It was as if she had never died. He had even sensed the same spirit within her; though it had been quashed by these ignorant and undeserving mortals surrounding her. He had itched to break all of their pale necks at their mistreatment of her. But he bided his time. All of the years, the centuries of waiting was suddenly worth every moment. He had waited for this for a long time, and now here she was, back in his arms once again. And he had no intention of letting her go this time.

He took a lock of her hair and ran it between his gloved fingertips. How beautiful she was becoming. He had nearly forgotten how alluring and exquisite she had once been.

Ivory closed her eyes at his gentle touch. She began to feel wonderfully peaceful as a feeling of warmth emanating from him enveloped her. But when he rose to leave she felt panic at the loss of his presence and reached out for him, grabbing hold of his arm. "Please, don't go yet," she pleaded, and she could feel him hesitate for a fraction of a second. He sighed and reached down to put his arms around her. She gave in to his hold on her and allowed him to carry her to her small bed. He lay her down on her silken sheets and settled in next to her, wrapping his arms around her as she fell into sleep and he faded into the darkness once again.

* * *

Ivory woke with a start, sitting up in her bed. She had fallen asleep early tonight, and she had been dreaming… She dreamt of a stranger, who wasn't really a stranger to her. He finally appeared to her and promised to take her away when she came of age. It was a wonderful dream… wasn't it? Or had it been real? 

She looked up and saw it was only ten o'clock. It was still too early for her father and stepmother to come home. For all she knew, they wouldn't be coming back until the early hours of morning. Sometimes they wouldn't come back until the weekend was over.

She rose from her bed to check on Toby. His room was considerably larger than hers with much more things to entertain himself with during long, boring nights such as tonight. But Ivory found him sound asleep in his bed, his mouth slightly open. She went over to his bedside and tucked him into his blankets, then placed his favorite teddy bear, Lancelot in his tiny arms. She sighed openly as she gazed down at her little brother. He would have such a better life than she would ever have, and now she couldn't live out the rest of her days with him. She would be sent away from the only thing she ever loved in this house. She would be alone in a house among strange relatives who would only see her as a burden, not only that, but a bastard burden.

She slapped her tears away and rushed back into her room. The enormity of the situation came crashing down upon her and she collapsed on her bed in a fit of tears. Her body convulsed as a violent wave of sobs wracked her body. She was unwanted, unloved, and invisible to everyone around her. Except for one… but he had only been a dream. What if he never came? She had wanted so desperately to have someone to love her unconditionally and she wanted to return that love just as much. She had wanted so much to have a family that would take her in and make her one of their own. It had gotten to the point where she was becoming hopelessly desperate and was only imagining all of this and merely dreaming it, believing it was all real.

And as her tears subsided, she realized she would never have any of what she truly desired if she continued to stay here, or even if she left to that cursed outer moon. She put a hand over her quivering lips and wrapped her other arm around her now shaking body. She was afraid, deathly afraid of what she was about to do, but she had decided right then and there. She was going to leave on her own.

* * *

As she clumsily rustled around to find any remaining clothes she may need, her hand found what she could not leave without. Inside the little cedar box was the jade owl her mother had given her. She held it lovingly in her hand, looking down at the little creature. She sighed and kissed it before she slipped it into the fold of her satin overcoat. She had two suitcases packed along with a pack of food she had stolen from the kitchens. Speaking of which, she had never stolen from her father before, but now was a better time than ever. She reached into her fold again and clutched the large pouch of money she had taken from her father's office. 

She would not leave a note. The near-bare closet and the large amount of money that was now missing was indication enough that she had left this house for good. Now all there was left to do was say good-bye to Toby.

Leaving her bags in the hallway, she snuck into his bedroom. He was still fast asleep. She wasn't sure if this was going to be any easier if he was asleep, if he had been awake he never would have let her go. But she had no choice.

She kneeled down at his bedside and stroked back his golden locks lovingly, taking in all of his innocent features before she felt the tears welling in her eyes again. She could not linger much longer – it was already close to midnight. She sniffed and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. She rose and leaned over to kiss his forehead.

"I love you, Toby," she whispered, her lips still on his downy head. "If you should forget me… perhaps that would be best…"

She didn't want Karen telling him lies - what a horrible and indecent sister he had once had. Although Karen may be just as happy if Toby really did forget all about her.

She stopped in the doorway and turned back for one last look at her baby brother, sheltered by the soft moonlight. Finally, she looked away and reached for her suitcases. It would be difficult to carry all of this luggage out, but it would not be so difficult going out the back way. She knew all the security codes and the enormous dogs that guarded the house knew her by scent and by sight. She slipped out into the night and silently began to walk down the once-familiar streets of her fine quarter.

It would be easy to find a transport to the docks, and from there she could easily pay her way to Persephone where any ship was willing to take on passengers if the pay was right.

But there was one more thing she had to do. She doubted anyone would come looking for her; her stepmother would surely talk her father out of sending a full-on army to track her down. But she was not a prisoner of her former home, she had been out in society before, and people knew her as Ivory – Richard's miracle girl, who was also his love child. She would be recognized, and perhaps someone out for money would snatch her up and take her back for a possible reward. She had to change her name. Something simple and unrecognizable, but something that would suit her as well.

The name burst forth in her mind without a second thought – Sarah.

* * *

**AN:** So has anyone guessed it yet? Jess Readin did. I have a really good feeling about this fic and I'm super amazed at the amount of reviews from the first chapter alone. I love it! Thank you!! And the Chinese might be a little difficult since I don't know how to do any accents or anything on here. So bear with me on that for the time being. Thank you for all the reviews and the kind words, and I hope you enjoy reading this just as much as I enjoy writing it. 

Shalom y Amor


	3. Persephone

Captain Malcolm Reynolds loaded the last crate unto the mule, a half-smile on his face. This pay was going to be big; he could feel it in his bones. It made him giddy just thinking about it.

Apparently, his first mate, Zoë was thinking the same thing. "Almost ready, Capn'?" Her voice was light this morning, like her step.

"Jus' let Wash know we're leavin' soon."

"Will do." Zoë ran back up the ramp and into the spaceship, nudging the female mechanic who came walking out as she rushed past.

Kaylee had her usual green coveralls on, but it was apparent she took the time to wash the grime from her face this morning. "Be gone long, Capn'?"

"Nope," Mal slapped his hands on his pants. "Jus' gonna drop these off, get paid, have Wash fuel up, and then we're outta here." He turned to lock down the crates, but whipped back around and pointed a finger to his mechanic. "And Kaylee, remember what I said."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I know," she said begrudgingly, "no passengers this time."

Mal nodded. "We might be gettin' some new cargo to drop off elsewhere, and remember what happened the last time we picked up newcomers."

Kaylee shrugged. "Now we can't seem to get rid of 'em, can we?"

"We don't want anymore trouble. Jus' cause we're here at the Docks don't mean we're takin' anyone in."

"Alright, Capn'." Kaylee shoved her hands into her pockets and smiled as Zoë and her husband, Wash, came striding out to meet their captain.

"All set?" Zoë settled herself in behind her husband on the mule, which was similar to a large ATV with a trailer to carry its cargo hitched on the rear.

Captain Reynolds climbed unto the trailer and sat down atop his cargo crates. "Let's go."

Wash revved up the mule and began to pull out away from the ship. Kaylee smiled and waved to her Captain. He responded by yelling out, "'member what I told you!"

Kaylee shook her head and giggled, kicking aside a stray nut bolt. She sighed and looked out among the crowds. The Eavesdown Docks at Persephone was the probably one of the busiest places in the Core – among all of the rich, central planets that is. Nothing like this on the poorer, outer rim planets, respectively called the Rim.

People bustled with their belongings, some had families and some were alone. Some were looking for a transport and some were looking for work. Some people she saw were trying to persuade others to climb abroad their ship, desperate people needing a coin to get by. Just like her and her crew. Well, her family really.

Kaylee leaned against the steel wall of _Serenity_ – her ship. She looked up and patted the wall with her hand almost lovingly. It was a _Firefly_-class spaceship. It even resembled a firefly just by looking at it. She had a great time explaining the workings of the ship from the tail section to Simon.

"It works just like the bioluminescent insectoid abdomen." She remembered the helpless look on Simon's face. "It lights up when you hit the gas…"

She loved this ship and everyone she held inside who called _Serenity_ home.

When she first arrived, she had no intention of becoming the engineer; she was actually stumbled upon by the Captain under a certain 'circumstance' with the former mechanic. She never had any formal training; it was simply a gift that she knew so much about ships. At the time it was purchased, _Serenity_ was little more than a planet-bound ruin. She was still intact, still space-worthy, but her engines were broken and most of her equipment was in sore need of repair. Mal's plan was to acquire a pilot, mechanic, and a cook (the last of which was sadly never acquired), and start taking jobs immediately. It took almost a month to get _Serenity_ off the ground, as her first mechanic, Bester, was not as skilled as advertised. But with a few minor adjustments, Kaylee was able to get up and running again. She quickly became the new mechanic.

At the time, Captain Mal wanted to be free of Alliance control and having a ship seemed his best chance. Unfortunately, he was quick to realize how hard it was to find work in an Alliance-controlled solar system, and it was not above using _Serenity_ for ill-gotten gain if the gain is high enough.

Kaylee's Captain and his second-in-command, Zoë, fought on the losing side of the civil war – the Unification War - between the Alliance and the Independents – those who refused Alliance control. They now governed the star system through an organization of Core planets, following its success in forcibly unifying all of the colonies under a single government. The Alliance was a fusion of the two surviving superpowers of Earth-that-Was, the United States and China, they formed the central federal government, and fused the two cultures into all society, as well. Everyone in the 'verse knew both English and Chinese.

The central planets were firmly under Alliance control, but the outlying planets and moons had little governmental authority. Settlers and refugees on the outlying worlds had relative freedom from the central government, but lack the amenities of the high-tech civilization that exist on the inner worlds.

All the planets and moons were in one large system, and despite what people thought who had never flown in a ship before, there was no faster-than-light travel in this Universe. Long before, Earth-that-was could no longer sustain the numbers; there were just too many people. A large population had emigrated from Earth to a new star system in multi-generational spaceships. The emigrants established themselves in this new star system, with dozens of planets and hundreds of moons. Many of these were terra-formed, a process in which a planet or moon is altered to resemble the Earth. The terra-forming process was only the first step in making a planet habitable, however, and the outlying settlements on the Rim often did not receive any further support in the construction of their civilizations. This resulted in many of the border planets and moons having forbidding, dry environments, thanks to the well-workings of the Alliance.

But it was where the Captain got most of the work done. But the work mainly consisted of cargo runs or smuggling. Honest work for a crew trying to make a living. They were driven by the need to secure enough income to keep their ship operational, their need to keep a low profile to avoid their adversaries, and to keep food on the table. Only their simple situations were greatly complicated by the different motives and personalities of each person on board.

A light giggle sounded from the kitchen. It was River, and she had apparently stolen something from her brother, Simon, and was now playing a great game of chase.

River Tam was a young girl of sixteen and she was a child prodigy, whose brain was subjected to horrible experiments by Alliance doctors, no doubt. As a result, she displayed bouts of schizophrenia and had her 'crazy' moments as well as very lucid ones. Her brother, Simon gave up a highly successful career as a trauma surgeon to rescue her from the Alliance, and as a result of this rescue they were both wanted criminals. Simon joined the crew as a paying passenger with River smuggled on board as cargo almost a year ago. But River wasn't the only loose cannon on the ship.

Jayne Cobb was Mal's mercenary, the hired muscle. He could be depended on in a fight, which was something the crew got into with others quite often. He was the man who asked the questions no one else wanted to when it came to a job or even a hit. But despite being the meathead with all muscle and no brain, Kaylee often suspected that he put on an act more often than not, that he was smarter than he tend to let on.

Zoë, of course, was Mal's second-in-command as well as his loyal wartime friend. She was the warrior woman of the crew and had great knowledge of combat. Her loyalty to Mal was unconditional, which sometimes got her husband, Wash, a little irked. Unlike her, he was timid and actually shorter than her in size. But he was a good man and an equally great pilot. Not to mention funny.

Shepherd Book was the priest on board. He had great faith and humility in God, and often displayed it when Mal wasn't around. He got along with everyone on the ship, even took to lifting weights with Jayne at times. Despite the fact that he was a devoutly religious man, he showed a peculiar depth of knowledge about firearms and criminal activities. Yet no one for some reason or another had even bothered to ask him as to why or how.

Kaylee Frye loved everyone on _Serenity_. She was a carefree, bubbly young woman, and she liked to think of herself as the soul of the ship, if she believed something was wrong or right with _Serenity_, it was usually true. She also liked to think of herself as her Captain's conscience.

Malcolm Reynolds, or as everyone called him, Mal, was _Serenity_'s Captain and a former Independent sergeant in the pivotal Battle of Serenity Valley. Very little was known about her enigmatic Captain; and the little he revealed about his past life betrayed nothing of his character. Kaylee knew he grew up on a ranch, and was raised by the hands. And he was also known to consistently go to Alliance-friendly bars on "Unification day" (the anniversary of the conclusion of the battle of Serenity Valley) and pick fights with the patrons. That and pickpocket other men he was playing pool or darts with. He was full of contradictions, and Kaylee knew he was constantly fighting his own demons, and his true self remained something of a mystery.

But they all managed to create a family on board. The only one who was missing left on her own; she went back to the Companion House on Sihnon to train to become High Priestess. Kaylee missed her terribly, but she knew it was only for the best. The captain was a difficult man to get along with, and Inara had apparently had enough.

Kaylee sighed and half-smiled to herself. River and Simon were playing in the kitchen, Shepherd Book was downstairs reading his Bible, and Jayne was sleeping off his 'long night of fun drinkin'' in his bunk. Mal told him he wouldn't be needing him today so Jayne decided to take it easy for a while. She could handle the ship; it wasn't much of a hard job. If any trouble should come, half of the crew was nearby, and they had been in some pretty sticky situations before.

She yawned and stretched out her back. She almost turned away then from the sights and sounds of the Docks, but something caught her eye. Something that was very out of place here.

It was a young woman traveling with two large suitcases and a bag strapped to her shoulder. She was completely covered in a cascade of plush folds of forest-green velvet. The heavy cape was generously cut for a graceful drape; the hood attached to it covered her head, but didn't conceal the look of wonder on her face. The girl covered in velvet stood before _Serenity_… openly admiring Kaylee's ship.

* * *

The dirt ground was covered with scraps, flyers, and wood chips, which crunched slightly beneath the worn leather shoes she had slipped on that morning. The Docks on Persephone was a noisy place; she had never seen so many people in one place before, and she certainly felt slightly out of place. Around her, people bustled about with their families while some sat by and watched while they passed. Vendors tried to sell their wares, men threw slabs of red meat on giant grills for those needing a meal, and she almost ran into a troupe of performing Chinese acrobats entertaining the crowds.

There were tents for those staying overnight, chickens, horses, carts, carriages, crates, people dozing, people chatting, some sharing a cup of mint tea. There were prostitutes and gangs, wanderers - some in tunics, some in brightly colored veils, belly dancers, kabuki play fighters, and every now and then Sarah caught sight of small groups of Alliance soldiers.

Sarah's garb didn't fit in at all with the people here. She looked out of place among the coats of brown and black, some covered in dirt and others torn to nearly shreds. This was by no means a poor place, but the Docks were mostly for people looking for a transport to another planet. Most were either refugees, those who could not afford a fancy Alliance-controlled ship that would hold everything they owned, or simply those who wanted to keep a low profile.

Just as she thought, getting to Persephone was not a problem. There was a regular ferry from one core planet to the other. Ariel was the one of furthest planets from Persephone, but it had the Eavesdown Docks so it was mandatory that a ferry stop here.

She really didn't have hundreds of credits to spend on transportation now that she was here. At this point, she still didn't even know where she was going. Getting far away from Ariel was a must, but she supposed it couldn't hurt to stay within the Core. She was just not used to places or crowds like this.

The velvet forest-green cloak she wore was a dead-giveaway she was new to all of this, and she got more than enough offers to join a ship than she had originally thought. She thought it might have been her who had to do the bargaining for a transport, but it was the other way around. She turned down one leering man after another before she began to avoid the ships all together. Obviously, they had never had a girl like her on board a ship like theirs before. She knew they would be wanting more than the credits she was willing to pay. But she had to find one before the day was out. She was not going to stay here overnight, that would mean more unwanted, even dangerous attention.

But in the meantime, as the day began to turn warmer, Sarah wandered, observing everyone's exotic clothing, and just absorbing the setting in general. She occasionally saw a ship that she found interesting, and went over for a look. But turned back just as quickly when a man would come down the ramp eagerly, trying to wave her down.

Sarah stopped and watched different acrobats perform in as much empty space as they could. She set her heavy suitcases down next to her to give her arms a rest. As she admired the colorful costumes and the acts, she nearly jumped at the sound of a man right next to her screaming out, "boiled, fried, steamed dumplings! Made with prawn, pork, chestnut or bamboo!" The man addressed her, "you, young miss, you look mighty hungry. How 'bout some sticky rice in bamboo if you don't like dumplings?" He gestured to the flaming stovetops and grills behind him.

Sarah became flustered. "I, uh, no..."

"I got won ton soup too!"

She picked up her suitcases and turned to walk away. "No, thank you. I'm not hungry."

The man ignored her and tried to get another passer-by's attention.

At this rate, she either needed to find a transport fast or try and find a decent hotel outside the Docks. But she didn't want to stay here any longer than she should. She would rather she find a ship and be well on her way out of Persephone. Perhaps finding some decent work on the Rim wasn't looking so bad now…

A voice broke into her thoughts, "Mei Mei, could you spare a coin?" An old Chinese woman shuffled up to her side and held out a wrinkled hand.

Sarah could never refuse one who asked for so little. She sighed and reached down into the fold of her overcoat beneath her cloak. She picked through her pouch until she decided on one silver coin. It was probably enough to get the old woman something decent to eat. She held it out to her and the old woman began to reach out for it.

"Xie xie, little one." Her hand froze when she saw the jade owl slip out of the long folds of Sarah's cloak. "Oh…"

"Oh!" Sarah snatched her hand back, afraid she might have shown too much.

"No, no." The old woman reached out to see it. "Let me see owl. I won't take."

Sarah did tie the owl to a piece of red string and wrapped it around her wrist – her mother had always told her the red string tied around the right wrist was for good luck. And she didn't think this old woman would have had a very easy time slipping the owl off her wrist, even if she was out to steal it. She pursed her lips and held her hand back out again.

The old woman smiled and held the jade owl in her fingertips. She squinted slightly, examining and turning it over several times. "Jade very good. Most noble of all. Peace and much friendship come your way."

Well, that was good news for Sarah.

The woman paused again and looked closer. "Hmm… owl. The owl is fate-seeker. He sees through dark and is very wise. But he is trickster. Be careful what you wish for, mei mei." The old woman looked up and narrowed her eyes at Sarah… she was examining her now!

That was enough fortune-telling for one day. Sarah dropped the coin into the old woman's hand. "Thank you…" she turned away again, but the old woman reached out for her Sarah's arm with a surprisingly strong grip.

"Wait! You want ship."

Sarah turned back around; she wasn't at all shocked though. Wasn't it obvious?

"You want that one there," she pointed past Sarah's shoulder. She turned her head and followed the direction of the woman's gaze. There was a ship there, but it was just there… There were no passengers coming on board or anyone on the ramps. But she hadn't seen this one yet. Maybe it was worth a try.

She turned back around to thank the woman, but she was met with empty space. The old woman was gone, disappeared. Her gaze searched the crowd for her. But the woman must have run back for some food with her new coin.

Sarah shrugged it off, she admitted what had just happened was a little eerie for her, but this new ship intrigued her nonetheless. She tilted her head, taking a closer look. She had never seen a ship like this one before, it was different from all of the others that were docked here. Not just in shape and size though, which resembled something like an insect or a bird of some kind, but this seemed so… unique to her.

Her mind made up, she picked her suitcases up again with a barely suppressed groan and made her way over to the ship. Passer-bys kicked up dirt and dust as they ambled around beside her and she had to avoid a few close calls with running children who had been let loose, but she finally made it to the long metal ramp of the spaceship.

She stood in front of the cargo bay and stared. It was a huge open space, two decks tall, with an upper catwalk and two flights of stairs attached to it. Truthfully, Sarah noticed that this ship was pretty beat up, and she could tell it was an older model than most of the ships here. But something about this ship… she couldn't explain it; she was just simply drawn to it. It felt perfect for her.

Perhaps it was the old, worn-in feel of it, or maybe it was the fact that no one was rushing out to beg for a passenger. This ship seemed to be waiting for her to come on board. This ship was exactly what she needed. More than anything, she wanted to let go of her former world of luxury and wealth, wrapped in a sea of conceit and hostility.

More than anything, she wanted to at least feel a sense of peace and security. She needed serenity.

* * *

Jareth stormed into his throne room, his eyes wild with rage.

Ivory, his Sarah, had left her home. He had looked in on her the morning after he appeared to her for the first time to find her room empty. Everything that once belonged to her was gone, her clothes, her belongings, even her bed and her ornate vanity she once sat in front of night after night… waiting for him, had disappeared. Her stepmother was home tending to her child, happy as could be. It led him to one conclusion, Ivory had fled her home and her stepmother had taken full advantage of it. She had gotten rid of all traces of her stepdaughter.

But Ivory could be anywhere. She could have been anywhere and he longer had the strength nor the power to find her.

"Damn her!" Jareth roared. "Foolish girl! Trying to run off alone… by herself!" His vicious gaze fell on the goblins that were still left in his kingdom. Some were cowering in dark corners, some were frozen with fear, and some managed to slink away. They had never seen their King this infuriated before.

It had been hard enough to maintain enough power to transport himself to her room nearly every night. The strain of it only served to weaken him. The past five hundred years of waiting had not been kind to him.

After the Earth could no longer sustain the enormous amount of people living there, he had to find a way to follow them. It had not been easy. It began with the loss of faith people, especially children had once had in magic, in something much more thrilling and divine than their dead world had to offer them. They seemed to have all faith and hope in anything beyond themselves and what their own pride in their numbers had brought them. Forced to adapt to a new Universe and forced to live in sometimes uninhabitable worlds, people simply lived without that spark of imagination they once had.

Much of his power was solely based on this. Centuries ago, when those who still worshipped the Old Ways, the Goblin King was at his peak. The power he wielded seemed limitless, and it only grew as more fell into the old religion. Then it all changed when Christianity came to the forefront. He was still very powerful, but it left a heavy dent in his once mighty rule over the people and creatures of the old world. Over the years, he lived out each day and night as the King of the Goblins. He became the protector and ruler of the Labyrinth and all who resided within its walls. Those who still believed found themselves wandering its twists and turns to right the wrongs they had done. He enjoyed these visitors to his Kingdom and took great amusement watching them fight their way to a destination they would probably never reach. Of course, it was more fun when they had the rules of the game to follow. Unfortunately, however, this was always the case since the beginning. The natural order demanded that there be rules; even his magic could not deny this. Although, he was allowed to bend them every once in a good while.

Years passed, and people came to his Labyrinth in lesser numbers. Until one fateful day, the image of a young girl appeared in one of his crystals. He had been sitting at his window staring out over his Labyrinth when a soft voice echoed from the center of his throne room. His oak staff stood straight up and held a crystal sphere at its tip. Inside the crystal was a girl of about fourteen, acting out a play in front of her mirror.

One look at her and he was at once taken. She was not only beautiful, but she held a stubborn belief in his world of magic. A world most people had long since forgotten.

He watched her for days on end until she had turned fifteen. Over time, he had not only become intrigued by her, but had fallen deeply in love with her. She must have somehow felt the unnatural desire he felt for her, the complete fascination by her; because one night she began to tell a story to her baby brother...

Yet, she quickly became antagonistic towards him. Not only had he taken her brother, which was what she wanted in the first place, but, he had become insulting when he had thrown that snake-turned-goblin at her. Then he had unrelentingly refused to give Toby back, presenting her with the puzzle of solving the Labyrinth. He taunted her, teased her even. But that was who and what he was.

Jareth had been watching her progress within one of his crystal spheres as she journeyed through the Labyrinth. She had proved interesting, thus far, but he worried. He had sorely underestimated her… there was a good chance she could win and return to her world. He actually had no intention of letting her win, for now he knew he would not willingly let her go. His very being seemed to ache at the thought of her leaving. It was only in his nature that he would fight to keep a beautiful young woman he had fallen in love with. He always got what he wanted.

So he intensified his tactics of keeping her delayed and provided the dwarf with the enchanted peach.

Faeries with grotesque goblin masks and ornate costumes danced and laughed, some appearing to mock her. As she looked down at herself, she found she was costumed in the most exquisite white gown, and her hair had been trussed in a truly ornate fashion. As she moved forward through the dancers, slowly as if in a dream, she seemed to feel as if she had been searching for something she could not quite recall. He would appear in the crowd, and when she caught sight of him, her heart would begin to race. But as she would draw near, he would vanish and appear somewhere else. Of course, it was only natural that he tease and confuse her first.

Finally, looking down at her, he held her spellbound, gazing deeply into her eyes as he danced with her among the other Faery crowd. He was serenading her and without intending to, he let his guard down.

But again, he had underestimated her. The chimes of the clock seeped through Sarah's dreaming; making her shake herself free from the enchantment he had been holding over her. It was an almost physical pain for him to watch her run.

"He could not lose her," his heart told him. "He would not!" his pride demanded.

At the center of the Labyrinth, he was no longer hiding anything from her, for he appeared to her in his most vulnerable form. He was angry at first, to have her come this far and then to openly defy him. But he quickly sobered when she did not back down. In desperation he fell back on his usual briberies. He finally broke down, any pride he once had left him. Until ultimately, she left him shattered and brokenhearted.

This was another massive crack in his magic.

And when she died, his power only weakened more and more as the years wore on.

When Sarah's descendents had left Earth to journey to the new Universe, he used whatever strength he had left to follow the mortals. He was able to transport his Labyrinth, his castle, and his goblins to the realm of the new Universe. Of course, it was still invisible and unreachable to the eyes of mortals, but he had done it. But it had cost him.

His once powerful magic was now reduced to only a sliver. His Labyrinth was in ruins, only the foundations of the Goblin City were left, and only half of his goblin hoard remained. Even his appearance had changed. After Sarah died, he chopped his long, leonine mane of golden hair, leaving it just above the shoulders. His glamour had toned down quite a bit too. He neglected his appearance and his waning power until he was only left with only hope and growing anxiety that he may never find her.

Until Ivory was born.

And yet, he still had to wait a few more years until she became of age. He would wait until she turned twenty one. Not only would she then fully turn into a young woman, but by then she could fully appreciate what he had to offer her. A life of love and adoration, a life she longed to have since her mother died. He was more than willing to give that to her, and so much more.

He knew what she went to almost everyday, and he nearly tortured himself with the need to take her away from everything. But she did not know the words, she didn't know the wish she had to make. He never thought she would take the initiative and run away from her home by herself. Cursing under his breath, he knew he had once again underestimated her.

He had waited five hundred years for her, and he was not about to lose her again.

He had to remain calm; nothing good would come of his temper. He threw himself unto his throne room and tossed his head back, throwing loose strands of golden hair from his eyesight.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath. "She couldn't have gone far," he murmured. "Where could she possibly go…?" He looked up sharply to a nearby goblin. "You, take a group of soldiers to her quarter and search the city!" he ordered coldly. "And send another squad to the neighboring planet, do what must be done!" The goblin Captain nodded once, slowly.

It was dangerous to travel between planets, even for the Goblin King. Things were not as they used to be; if they still had the old power, then they could transport themselves to wherever they wished. For now, they remained grounded in this broken world of magic, waiting for their King to regain the strength he gradually lost due to his own anxious obsession of waiting for his Sarah to return.

Jareth took another long breath after his goblins had disappeared. He snapped his fingers and a crystal appeared in his hands. He twirled it smoothly around his fingers; at least there were some things he did not lose entirely.

If she stayed grounded on one planet, someplace where he could sense her, then she should be fairly easy to find. But if she were to leave, if she were to somehow stay adrift in between planets, then it would be next to impossible to find her.

His last, remaining hope now was that she stay put in one place.

* * *

**AN:** Ok, so this is a crossover between Labyrinth or Firefly, and so far, I think it's working. Good lord, I never expected to have so many reviews by this point! It's wonderful, I love it!!! But for anyone who hasn't seen Firefly, this chapter should explain the background of it fairly well. If you need visuals for each character, just go to scifi(dot)com/firefly. For those who do know, this takes places after the series and right before the Big Damn Movie-Serenity. Jess Readin had mentioned that Jayne is more goblin than anything else - she couldn't have been more right. Thank you again so much to all reviewers! Big hugs and kisses! Oh, and a couple of people have asked, and I speak Spanish, and attempting to learn Hebrew and Arabic.

Shalom y Amor


	4. Serenity

Sarah stood in front of the spaceship, underneath what looked to be the cockpit. The whole thing seemed to be shaped like some kind of insect. From what she could tell, the belly of the ship was the cargo bay, with the neck and the 'head' of the ship hovering just above her. She shifted her weight, trying to get a better look at the entire ship from her vantage point. A slight smile appeared on her face without even realizing.

"Hello," a light, sweet voice broke Sarah's reverie. She turned, her eyes still filled with wonder. Her smile widened when she saw a young woman walking down the ramp, her hands tucked into the pockets of her green coveralls. She had a pretty face framed by auburn hair that bounced just slightly as she stepped down the ramp towards Sarah.

"Hello," Sarah replied. "Your ship is incredible." The words came out of her mouth without thinking.

The young woman looked mildly surprised. "Really? You like her?"

"Yes, it's the best ship I've seen all day. I think it's perfect." Her last words came as a contented sigh.

"Wow," the woman tucked a strand of hair behind her ear while ducking her head modestly. "I don't think anyone's ever said that about _Serenity_ before. Except, you know, her captain."

Sarah's eyebrows rose. "Her name is _Serenity_?" This was turning out to be too good to be true.

The woman extended her hand to Sarah. "My name's Kaylee, by the way."

"Sarah." She took her hand in a friendly shake. Kaylee smiled then, a sweet, good-hearted smile that lifted Sarah's spirits. Sarah began to reach for her pouch then. "How much?"

Kaylee's smile immediately dropped. "For what?"

Sarah froze. "For payment. I wanted this ship as a transport."

"Oh," Kaylee's eyes dropped to the floor and she took a step back. "I'm sorry, but we're not really here to pick up passengers."

"But you're docked at the busiest port in the 'verse. Why else would you be here?"

Kaylee looked away and twisted her fingers nervously. "Well, we just have other business here in Persephone is all."

"But I have plenty for payment, maybe even some extra. Please, this is the only ship I've seen all day that I'm more than willing to pay for and stay on just for a little bit…" Sarah tired to remain calm, but she was finding it difficult. If she didn't get on this ship she would be absolutely devastated, and then she would have to stay overnight in Persephone in the hopes that maybe, just maybe she would find another ship that would come close to this one. Sarah reached up and brushed the hood of her cape aside, revealing her delicate and desperate features. Kaylee blinked as her breath caught at the sight of Sarah's beautiful, young face. For a moment, she thought she saw Inara standing in front of her…

"Please," Sarah tried again, "this is by no means a last resort, because it's not. I honestly like your ship and I've only seen it from the outside. I need this ship more than I want it. I've been all over these docks and you're my only hope. I'm not going very far. I have plenty for a short passage." Against her will, her voice began to waver but she kept her eyes locked on Kaylee's. "I need _Serenity_. Please, Kaylee…" Here, she didn't anymore words; the desperation in her emerald eyes was enough.

Kaylee sighed openly and clucked her tongue. She studied Sarah carefully. She was certainly not expecting someone like her to show up in front of her ship, much less beg for a passage. She couldn't remember the last time someone so openly admired and actually pleaded with her to come abroad _Serenity_.

Her Captain was going to be so angry with her…

* * *

Captain Reynolds grumbled under his breath as the mule briefly sank into another dusty pothole. This job had not gone as planned. 

Apparently, the cargo wasn't exactly to Badger's liking. After dropping off almost ten crates at his feet and having them carefully inspected, Badger immediately decided that he wouldn't have any need for the rest and was willing to pay only less than a fourth of the promised amount. Now he had five crates of illegal goods that he had to put back in his ship. This was almost just like what happened the last time he was here to sell goods to Badger. Only this time, matters were worse.

There was nothing wrong with the cargo, there was no Alliance-stamp on it; it was just illegal. But it had always been that way ever since the end of the war. This was the only way for him and his crew to survive out in the 'verse. But things were starting to go sour with Badger. He wasn't sure when it happened exactly, but Mal was starting to notice that his frequent employer wasn't living up to his honest business in the recent weeks. Not that he ever did before. Mal would have loved to smash a whole right into Badger's face if he had the chance. But business was business, and it meant money for food and gas to survive maybe for a couple of weeks.

Now he faced the bigger problem of what he was supposed to do with this illegal cargo that he was forced to haul back unto his ship. He had very few people he could go to nowadays. His connections were either dead, broke, or swore off the business. The Alliance was cracking down a lot harder than usual on the border planets, which was unusual for the Alliance, and even worse for Mal.

Now he was regretting bringing Jayne with him on this job. He had such a good feeling about this deal this morning he was sure he didn't need Jayne. Keeping him locked up in his bunk from the outside while he completely passed out was a good way to keep him out of a job. But sometimes, he had a way of making things go sour. At this point, Mal wasn't sure if things would have gone way south if Jayne had come with them, or if he would have been the intimidation/determination factor in closing the deal. He probably wouldn't be bringing back the crates to his ship if Jayne did go with them.

"Zoë!" Mal yelled to his second-in-command over the noise of the docks.

"Yes, Capn'?"

"Whaddya think?"

"Not sure," Zoë answered. "We could go to a border planet…"

"No," Mal griped. "No, we can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Too much Alliance."

"We don't really have much of a choice, Capn'. 'Sides, everyone needs somethin' out there."

"Yea, but who'd be willin'?"

"Not sure." Zoë paused for a moment, and then turned her head to face her Captain who was sitting on top of the crates. She regarded her Captain coolly and with a straight face. "But we need to figure out somethin' fast."

Mal looked out over the docks and squinted his eyes under the sunlight. "Yea," he mumbled, ducking his head. "Yea, we do." Him and his crew worked best under pressure, and they had been in worse deals before, but Badger and his business just wasn't sitting well with him lately. If only they had more connections elsewhere he wouldn't have to deal with Badger anymore. But jobs and employers were becoming scarce as the weeks wore on. He painfully began to feel the weight and shadow of the Alliance bearing down upon on his crew.

The mule lurched ahead unto the ramp of _Serenity _before jerking to a stop inside the cargo bay. With a barely suppressed groan, Mal slid off the mule. This ATV was smaller and older than the one they had before. Unfortunately, they had to blow the last one up to use as a diversion, because of a job gone wrong. Very wrong. Mal still felt chills along his spine when he remembered the amount of torture he had to endure before his crew finally came to rescue him. He quickly shook the memory off.

"Zoë," he said in the firmest tone he could muster, "wake Jayne up and get him down here."

"What if he asks-"

"Just tell him to get down here." Mal was in no mood for any kind of disagreements on the part of his crew.

Zoë took the hint. "Right." She backed away and rushed up the stairs to retrieve their mercenary.

Her husband, Wash, didn't say a word. He didn't even go with them to try and settle the deal. The sight of a near-full trailer was enough to keep his mouth shut. After he set the pump to let the ship fuel up, he silently went up through the front hall to check the radars. Mal began the tedious task of placing the illegal crates back into the nooks of the ship, away from any prying eyes.

Mal stretched, wincing as he felt his neck pop. He hadn't slept much the previous night, and the prospect of hauling all these heavy crates around wasn't helping his weariness any. Come to think of it, he hadn't slept much at all the last week or so. How did things go downhill so fast? Was it the fugitive doctor and his sister he kept on his ship who was causing all the extra patrol, all the apprehension that he was faced with in this business now? He had a whole crew, not to mention a few passengers he had to look out for. That was the Captain's job, and he was struggling to do it right.

"Captain!" Wash's voice suddenly blared on the intercom.

"What is it?" Mal responded sullenly.

"We got Alliance patrol docking in five minutes!"

"_Tah mah duh hwoon dahn!_" Mal hissed through his teeth. He took a deep breath and bellowed, "have we been marked for inspection?"

"No! I can get us out of here in two minutes!"

"Then do it! And get Zoë down here now, I don't care if Jayne's awake or not!"

"I'm comin'!" Jayne grumbled, trudging down the stairs. "We got Alliance comin' in?"

Thankfully, Jayne wasn't asking any questions and most likely didn't know about the bad deal.

Mal shrugged off his brown coat. "Just help me get these extra crates in."

Jayne grumbled under his breath before he rolled back his massive shoulders. They both groaned in protest as they lifted a crate together. Mal felt the engine rumble and experienced a slight vertigo as _Serenity_ began her lift off. They carefully hauled the crate back toward the nooks placed in the far corner of the ship. Mal turned his head to look behind him and abruptly stopped dead in his tracks.

"What?" Jayne asked.

Mal responded by dropping his end of the crate. His eyes were locked on the floor, at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the catwalk. His nostrils flared at the sight of two large, unfamiliar suitcases.

Mal clenched his jaw, fighting to stay calm. "What the hell are those?"

Jayne dropped the crate and peered over. "Looks to be suitcases, to me."

"Exactly." Mal stalked into the center of the cargo bay. "Kaylee!" he roared. "Kaylee, get down here now!"

* * *

Sarah breathed an audible sigh of relief as she swept off her velvet cape. A breath of fresh air caressed her when she lay her cape down across her suitcases. 

"Just keep them there," Kaylee said. "Now, I still have to talk to my Captain, but I'm sure we take you someplace close." Kaylee still wasn't sure about letting a stranger on her ship. She remembered what happened the last time they let a strange girl on; it almost cost them their lives. But Kaylee had a feeling, a strange feeling that this girl was different. She actually felt good about this young woman who only needed safe passage. And she was willing to pay. They could always use some more coin, and by the lavish looks of this young woman, she had more than enough.

Kaylee looked around and peered out over the docks, her Captain would be coming back any minute. "Ok, um, why don't you come with me?" She gently clasped Sarah's elbow and led her through a small door.

Sarah brushed her back behind her shoulder, her eyes widening in curiosity. "What's down there?" she pointed down a flight of stairs.

"Oh, the passenger dorms," Kaylee confirmed.

"Can I see them?" Sarah asked eagerly. All of this was so new and exciting to her. She could barely contain herself.

Kaylee looked back and saw no sign of her Captain. She took a shaky breath and hoped she knew what she was doing. "Sure, let's go check 'em out." They made their way down the flight of stairs. Sarah took everything in, beaming with awe. The thought that she may not be even become a passenger was not even a thought in her mind right now. She had never seen anything so worn in, so tarnished, so… comforting.

The short flight of stairs led down to a spacious common area. A couple of small sofas and several plush chairs all sat facing each other with a bright rug in the middle of the room. An enclosed medical bay took up part of the common area; equipped with plenty of instruments, drugs, and medicinal supplies that were laid out against white shelves and cupboards.

"Oh," Kaylee pulled her aside. "Here are the rooms…"

Sarah smiled again. Around the corner of the common area were the passenger quarters; heavily influenced by traditional Japanese design, with what looked like modeled-rice-paper, sliding doors made of light dispersing plastic.

"Comfy down here, ain't it?" Kaylee asked, smiling.

"It's wonderful…" Sarah inspected the Japanese sliding doors with almost childlike interest. It was fairly crude, but it everything down here had that very lived-in feel and look to it. She was no longer living in a museum... cold and absolutely forbidden to touch anything.

"Um, have you ever been on a passenger ship before?" Kaylee asked quietly.

"No," Sarah continued to inspect the passenger quarters. "No, I haven't."

"So… where do you come from?" Kaylee needed to know as much as she could about Sarah, without trying to scare her.

Sarah stopped and looked over at Kaylee. She stepped back and tucked her hair behind her ears. "I…"

The door Sarah stood in front of suddenly slid open, causing her to jump back, stifling a scream. The man who opened the door jumped back and shouted as well, not expecting such a startling reaction from a stranger. He gripped the door frame with one hand and clutched his chest with the other.

"Simon!" Kaylee reached out to him. "Simon, it's okay. This is Sarah. She… might be our new passenger."

The man named Simon, opened and closed his mouth, confused. "Uh, oh, um… okay." He glanced at Sarah and then at Kaylee again. "This is okay with the Captain?"

"Well… we'll see."

"Oh," Simon looked at Sarah again, a bit warily. "Well, I guess it's nice to meet you for now." He reached his hand out to Sarah.

Sarah grasped it lightly and shook it once, drawing her hand back almost immediately. "It's nice to meet you too." Simon was an attractive young man, boyish good looks with hair as black as a raven's wing. But he was dressed in a white silk shirt and black pants, a sure sign that he was born into the same class she was. She was not expecting to see someone like him, someone she had been raised to submit to when she was old enough... She was a little disappointed to see a man like him in a ship like this.

"Well," Simon began, "where are you from, Sarah?"

Kaylee turned to Sarah, patiently and politely waiting for a response.

"From Ariel," Sarah said casually, but Kaylee could hear undercurrents of tension in her voice.

She exchanged glances with Simon again and shifted her feet. "And where are you goin'?"

Sarah began to twist her fingers, and unfortunately, both Kaylee and Simon noticed. "I'm not going too far… still within the Core actually." She didn't want to give away too much. If anyone found out she was a runaway they would probably turn her in within a matter of hours. She couldn't risk too much information. Besides, even she didn't know where she was going yet.

"But, I'm sure a small commercial ship can take you…" Simon was cut off at the sudden jerk of _Serenity's_ very sharp and unexpected take off.

Kaylee started violently, her head twisting upward to the ceiling. "Are we takin' off already?"

"Why?" Simon asked. "What's wrong?"

All three of them suddenly heard a deeply enraged voice calling for Kaylee. "_Hun dan!_" Kaylee exclaimed. She turned and began to run back up the stairs to the cargo bay. She stopped halfway up and stooped down slightly. "I'll be right back!" she called. Her eyes stopped at Simon, she remained silent, but the expression on her face was pleading with him. Simon only nodded his head, silently agreeing to keep an eye on Sarah. She ran back up the stairs, leaving Sarah and Simon alone in the passenger quarters.

"So," Simon began again, albeit a bit awkwardly this time. "Where did you say you were going?"

"Is there a problem?" Sarah asked, trying to change the subject, though she did remember Kaylee telling her that her Captain still did not know she came aboard the ship.

Simon glanced upwards. "I don't think so." He studied her carefully, much to Sarah's chagrin. She winced noticeably under his gaze. "But," he said, taking a step back, "we haven't had any passengers on board for quite a long time. Why did Kaylee let you on?"

Sarah was sick to death of the interrogation and sighed openly as she turned on her heel. She made her way over to the bottom of the stairs and peered upward, ready to ascend toward the heavy voices that were now rising to a near crescendo.

"Wait, where are you going?" Simon asked warily.

"I just want to clear the air." She began to climb the stairs and looked down at Simon. "I don't want Kaylee to get into trouble on account of me."

"No," Simon nearly jumped to grasp her hand. "No, you don't want to go up there while the Captain is this angry."

Sarah pulled her hand away. "I'll be fine. Besides, I'm sure the Captain would want to meet me." She smiled at Simon and continued her ascent. Simon followed after her but stayed two steps behind. Simon watched as she paused at the top of the stairs before she turned the corner to walk into the cargo bay, and the growing hoard of some very angry people. He knew she had no idea what she was about to get herself into.

* * *

**AN: **gorram - goddamn, hun dan - damn, tah mah duh hwoon dahn - mother f#n' son of a bitch 

Hope that helps a bit. This chapter is short but my internet has been down and has given me more time to work on additional chapters which will be showing up quite frequently and very soon. I wanted to thank everyone for the congrats on the recent graduation. I think for now I'm going to sleep and write for 3 months and then I'll worry about the real world. I have definately not abandoned Guardian. I'll probably switch between the two when the mood or inspiration hits. And thank you all so much for the reviews on this story. The more I watch this show, the more I love it.

Shalom y Amor


	5. A Threat

"Captain, I can explain everything…" Kaylee pleaded, shrinking back more and more from her Captain's temper.

Mal took deep, ragged breaths through his nose. His calm was quickly deteriorating. "Kaylee, I told you no passengers! There somethin' wrong with your hearing?"

Kaylee ducked her head. "No… I just…"

"Were you even thinkin'?"

"Captain, I'm sorry… it's just that she had nowhere to go, and-"

"She?!" Mal roared. "It's a female? Kaylee, I assume you remember the last time we let a stranger girl on my boat?"

"Course I do... But Captain," she paused, "she said she liked _Serenity_."

"Course she liked _Serenity_. Anyone who wants to fool someone into coming aboard is gonna say that!"

"But she said it like she really meant it."

Mal made a sound in the back of his throat, much like a growl. "Kaylee… that soft, little vulnerable spot o' yours is really doin' a number-"

"She said she could pay!" Kaylee cut in, trying to quell her Captain's anger with the thought of coin. "She said she's not goin' far and she could pay…"

"Coin's always good," Jayne said. "Plus if it's another female on board, even better."

Mal stalked over to the intercom and punched the button on the wall. "Wash, get into the cargo bay now!"

"Captain, we can't just drop her!" Kaylee's voice began to rise.

"I told you no passengers! That don't mean you can take the first strange girl on my ship! You know what kind of danger you put us all in by doin' just that?"

"But if you would just meet her, maybe we can all work somethin' out…"

"I don't need to meet her and I have no inclination to work somethin' out! We're headin' back down and droppin' her off right where we found her!"

"What's goin' on?" Wash stepped down into the cargo bay with Zoë by his side.

"Turn this ship around!"

Wash shrugged helplessly. "Can't."

"That's an order!"

"I know. But, I can't."

"Why the hell not?"

"Alliance cruisers just touched down. If we go back we're sure to get marked for inspection."

Mal's shoulders began to sag as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is exactly what happened the last time," he murmured. "We took off with a stranger on board, weren't able to touch back down, then she tried to kill us all! Twice!" His voice rose as he spoke, and then finally reached a crescendo.

Wash held up his hands. "Why don't we just meet this mystery girl and get her story?"

"No!" Mal began to pace. "If we can't touch down then at the very least we keep her locked in a room from the outside."

"Captain," Kaylee said. "We can't do that…"

"Kaylee, you've already gotten us into enough trouble so I suggest you…" Mal suddenly stopped. He straightened his body and stared wide-eyed at the young woman stepping demurely into the cargo bay. It was almost like watching a Companion slink through with all of her beautiful and terrible allure. Mal almost swore he saw Inara walking through… his heart and blood froze.

Sarah tucked her black hair behind her ear nervously as she stepped out. Simon was following close behind her. "Um, I'm sorry," she stammered. "I… I think there's been a misunderstanding…"

"You're _gorram_ right there's been a misunderstanding," Mal snapped. "You're not supposed to be on my boat!"

Sarah's face paled to such a milky shade that, when added to the white overcoat she was wearing, she looked like some ethereal ghost, pale as the moonlight. "But Kaylee had told me…"

"Don't matter what Kaylee told you, you're not supposed to be here, and if it weren't for the troublesome circumstances facin' us if we touch back down, we'd be takin' ya right back to the Docks."

"What?" she asked, her voice faltering.

"You heard me," Mal nearly shouted. "You've caused me and mine a world o' trouble and I wouldn't hesitate to take ya right back where Kaylee found ya."

Sarah shook her head, disbelieving at this man's outright rudeness, his arrogance. "Trouble? I don't understand… I'm just a passenger."

Zoë finally stepped forward, standing next to her Captain. "Where exactly are you headed, hun?"

This was it, Sarah had to answer now. She could avoid the questions with Simon and Kaylee, but not with the rest of the crew in front of her. And then there was the Captain here now too… When she stepped through the doorway and set eyes on him it was like a breath of fresh air to see a rough man in dirty, worn clothes. Ruggedly handsome, rough around the edges, exuding such an untamed spirit… But it was also like becoming trapped in a dark corner with no way out. His eyes had her pinned to the spot, and she didn't know whether she liked it, or feared it.

Everyone was looking at her now, waiting for a response. Sarah was caught on the spot, and after opening and closing her mouth slightly, she finally managed to speak. "Well, I'm not going very far, just within the Core…"

"I think you already told us that," Simon told her softly.

Sarah glanced up and saw everyone staring at her expectantly. Except the Captain, who was visibly losing patience with her. Who did he think he was treating a guest like this? And a young woman, no less. Sarah straightened up a bit and addressed the Captain head-on. "Salisbury," she said defiantly. "I'm going to Salisbury," she was thinking on her feet but at least it was true, she did have family on Salisbury. It was barely inside the Core, but it was the absolute furthest she could get.

Mal cocked his head condescendingly. "Not far, huh? Salisbury is a week away."

"Oh…" It was a little farther than she expected. Sarah shifted her eyes to the Captain. She tucked a long strand of sable hair that swung into her face behind an ear, tilting her head slightly to one side, her whole demeanor softening. In one second, she went from opponent to submissive. She had to remember that her fate lay completely in this man's hands. She couldn't risk showing the least bit of agitation or defiance to this man and his crew. "I didn't realize it was so far."

Zoë stepped a bit closer to Mal and murmured, "Captain, can I have a word?" She made a quick gesture with her head, indicating that they move away from everyone.

Mal frowned, and reluctantly complied. He followed Zoe to a far corner of the ship and shifted his weight. "Speak your piece."

She sighed openly. "Capn', I don't like the situation anymore than you. But Kaylee said she could pay and the longer we keep her here, the more she has to pay. It would make up for the loss we had today. And," she added with quiet emphasis, "Monty's underground base is at Salisbury. I'm sure he'd be happy to pick up the rest of the crates."

Mal didn't answer, but considered Zoë's words silently. Monty was an old war buddy of him and Zoë, and he was in the same business. Monty wasn't such a bad idea.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin', Capn'?" Zoë asked.

Mal shifted his weight again and stared at Sarah. Her and Kaylee were trying to console each other, each expressing their apologies, and ending with Kaylee resting a comforting hand on Sarah's arm. His eyes glanced up at Shepherd Book and River walking down the flight of stairs, Shepherd with confusion written all over his face and River absolutely burning with curiosity of the new girl on board. Sarah responded by smiling weakly at the two.

Mal could tell she was becoming uncomfortable with the growing number of people that were asking all kinds of questions. He knew that she didn't even have the answers herself. Him and Zoë both knew that she was a runaway; probably stole away in the middle of the night. She might have felt a streak of rebellion and decided to make it on her own, away from her overbearing parents. He didn't think she was running from the law, much too young and somewhat naïve for that. She was only running from her life, a life she probably never fit into. One thing he knew for sure, she had money and money is what they needed more than ever right now.

He watched her slink away from Jayne's lingering eyes, something she probably wasn't used to with her kind of upbringing. Then again, he could be all wrong about her. He had been about Saffron and almost lost his ship and his crew because of her. But it was the sight of River who reached out and touched the ends of Sarah's black hair that had him second guessing. River was a 'reader', a psychic, and a precarious one at that. If she didn't have any problems with Sarah then there was very little chance they had anything to worry about. But he wasn't one to take any kind of chances. He shook his head and cleared his throat, exchanging a last glance with Zoë.

Mal slowly made his way back to his crew. As soon as he stood within the circle of eight everyone stopped their chatter and looked up expectantly at their Captain. Sarah waited for him to speak with a pounding heart.

"Alright," he started. "I'm being forced to keep you on my ship for a time. But not cuz I want to, but cuz you can pay and you won't be stayin' for very long either."

Sarah sighed with relief but cast her eyes downward at the thought of leaving the ship for an unknown world and a family she probably only met once. But she had no intention of staying with them. It was really the only planet she could think of.

"Salisbury is a week away so I suggest you take your things downstairs and get settled." Mal's voice was soft but he was still visibly upset at the new mouth he had to worry about feeding. "Kaylee, you and the doctor take her downstairs." He stared intently at his female mechanic before turning away.

"Thank you… sir," Sarah uttered before he had a chance to walk away.

Mal turned his head and regarded her coolly. "Just keep to yourself," he told her, "and the cargo bay is off limits while you're a passenger on my boat." He stopped then and turned back slowly. "Wait, what's your name? And I'd appreciate if you'd tell me your real name."

Sarah froze for a moment. What was it about new passengers that they didn't trust? Surely they had no idea that she was using an alias. She could tell the Captain her real name but any of one the many people surrounding her may have heard of her family. It was not an unusual name, but to associate her name with her upper-class family in Ariel was too much to risk. She was the miracle child. And as much as the Captain confused and even upset her with his arrogance, she still blushed under his gaze. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she responded breathlessly, "Sarah."

Mal nodded his head absently and turned his eyes to the floor. "Shiny," he said dryly. He began to walk up to the catwalk with heavy steps. "Dinner's in twenty. I expect you all to be there."

Sarah nodded absently and turned away with Simon and Kaylee, holding her jade owl in her fingers. She glanced down at it and silently thanked God for her good fortune. She could stay on _Serenity_ for a week, and then after that… she didn't want to think about that now. She ran her thumb over the owl, feeling the smooth ridges. After a long moment, she looked up at Kaylee and smiled. Kaylee responded with a sweet grin of her own. They were both happy she was able to stay, despite the Captain's obvious hesitancy.

Sarah looked over her shoulder before she made her way back down to the passenger dorms. She caught the Captain stealing a glance at her while he walked up the metal staircase. She met his eyes, but could not read the expression on his face. It was cold, but there was something else there… a raw pain he could barely hide beneath his harsh exterior.

She blinked, looking away with a flush rising to her face. They had been caught staring at each other.

She followed Kaylee and Simon down to her room as she heard the Captain's footsteps echoing above her.

* * *

Jareth swung his leg atop his throne's armrest lazily, watching his goblins as they cavorted around the throne room. There was still no sign of Ivory, but he knew she was in the Core somewhere, she couldn't have gotten far. He could still feel her presence… she wasn't lost to him yet. He summoned a crystal and looked into it as he searched for each of his goblin hunters. 

"Report," he hissed. Each goblin then immediately replied as Jareth switched from one location to another.

"Nothing, my lord..."

"No, Your Majesty..."

"She's not here, sire."

"No sign of her, oh Great One"

"Salisbury…" Jareth's eyes widened as he recognized the voice in the crystal. It was Ivory, her lithe form illuminated by the crystal's shimmering glow. "I'm going to Salisbury…" her voice echoed from within the orb.

"Not far, huh?" said another voice. The crystal's vision switched to a rough-looking man as he spoke. "Salisbury is a week away."

Jareth stiffened. No, it couldn't be. Ivory was already on a ship. He started up from his chair in alarm. He was too late!

Jareth watched Ivory intently as a group of ragged strangers questioned her sharply. But the image was already beginning to fade. The ship was leaving the atmosphere; very soon he would lose all sight of her. But before the image faded completely, Jareth's eyes narrowed dangerously at the Captain.

How dare he speak to Ivory like that! A low-life such as him treating her like an unwelcome burden. He knew more than she that she could not bear to become exposed to this kind of treatment any further. He watched with wide eyes as they all surrounded her with curious and wary faces. But his heart nearly stopped in astonishment when she told them all her name. How, in all the names of the Universe could she choose Sarah as an alias?

But did he even have to ask himself that? This was his Sarah: flesh, bone, and spirit. Reincarnated five hundred years later.

He sighed deeply, his countenance tinged with admiration. "Sarah… you have never ceased to amaze me." Even now, he could see her fire beginning to ember once again. How he had missed it, and how delicious it would be to have her by his side once more. This time it would be for all eternity. He sank back into his throne, nearly forgetting that he was about to lose contact with her as the ship began to gain speed through the atmosphere.

But after watching a little more closely, his grip on the crystal began to tighten; the leather gloves on his slender hands creaking with the pressure. The Captain and Sarah were looking at each other for far too long, and Jareth thought he had detected something in his eyes that was slightly personal. The image then completely disappeared from his sight.

Jareth clenched his jaw, letting his hand drop to his lap. He fought to remain calm as he took deep, ragged breaths. But he felt his blood boil and his skin crawl with fury. He brought the crystal back to eye level, but it remained clear and unresponsive. Suddenly, he lost all control and snarled through bared teeth. In a fit of rage, he stood and threw the crystal to the floor, smashing it into a thousand pieces. Nothing was left but silver shards, slowly drifting away in the cold breeze that drifted through the stone walls of his decaying castle.

The Goblin King stared at the silver dust for a time before he fell back into his throne with a heavy sigh. He covered his eyes with one gloved hand, steadying his breathing to a somewhat normal pace. "Salisbury," he murmured aloud. "She's going to Salisbury." He braced both hands on the armrests, and at length, he slowly began to tap them, the steady beat easing his thinking.

He would have to go to Salisbury himself. He could no longer rely on his goblins to track Sarah. If only he had used the little power he had, he could have found her himself and brought her here. At this thought, he looked up and around his throne room. Here? He really wanted to bring her here to this hell he had been wasting away in for centuries? His castle, his Labyrinth was barely recognizable to what it had been before. Massive stone walls lay crumpled in heaps, the hillsides were littered with stone bricks and twisted gates. The Underground now lay before him and his goblins like a barren wasteland.

No, this wouldn't do at all. They were a week away from Salisbury. If he could rest for a time, he could regain his strength and some of his power by then. He could find them there and claim Sarah for himself. With his power partially returned to him, he could then acquire the means to find a suitable not to mention, luxurious home for him and his Sarah. She could live in unimaginable wealth and security again, but this time it would be very different from her childhood in Ariel.

She would be loved.

But something nagged at him, something that gnawed at his thoughts; and it became increasingly stronger every time he tried to push it back. This Captain Sarah was acquainted with, and now forced to live with until she landed in Salisbury… he was more than a low-life ruffian trying to intimidate her.

He was a threat to him.

* * *

**AN: **Thanks to all reviewers, few as they may be from the last chapter, but that's okay. These are still opening chapters, things will start happening soon. Jess Readin - I'm getting the translations from a website that are straight from the show and movie, so I understand if they're not quite what I want to say. Avalon's Mists - I tried to make it not so much like Yosafbridge's first encounter, but Sarah had to stay on the ship somehow. Although, because of that, everyone is still hesitant about a new female passenger. Hopefully, more reviews this time around, but like I said, these are still filler/introductory chapters. 

Shalom y Amor


	6. Ashes to Phoenix

**AN:** So this chapter's been sitting here for a while and a few people have been asking so I decided to let this story catch up a bit. I'm not too impressed with the way Guardian is going thus far. Maybe more luck with this one. And for those who don't like Mal/Sarah - tough noodles. Who said they were going to end up together, anyway? K, moving right along...

* * *

The rest of the crew on _Serenity _remained in the cargo bay after Kaylee and Simon led Sarah down to the passenger dorms.

Wash watched the Captain storm away through the front hall of the ship. "What do you think of her?" he asked aloud to the remaining group.

Jayne shook his shoulders and cricked his neck, as if brushing off something on his skin. "Don't know about everyone else, but I sure like havin' her around."

Zoë sighed. "Captain always has a reason for everything he does, especially for the people he brings on board. If he really wanted to," she turned to her husband with an accusing eye, "he would have turned this ship around and left her back at the Docks."

Wash shook his head and threw up his hands. "I told you, unless we wanted to be marked for inspection, which I'm sure we didn't, then we had to keep flying."

"Not so loud," Shepherd Book finally spoke up. "We don't want her to hear, much less suspect anything about our kind of business..."

Jayne shrugged lightly. "Aw, hell, want can she really do if she finds out?"

"She could be a bug, Jayne," Zoë responded. "It's happened before."

"Not a bug…" River Tam spoke softly but firmly then. They all turned to her expectantly. She spoke to everyone and no one, staring straight ahead of her. "She's lost… and she's in pain, she's aching…"

Shepherd Book reached out and touched her shoulder lightly. Quite recently, the two of them had grown closer, establishing a father/daughter relationship. Although at times, it was the Shepherd who felt like the child. River smiled sweetly at his touch and turned her head up to the preacher, her eyes beginning to glaze over. "She's a princess…"

"A princess!" Jayne blurted excitedly. "That's good news for us. We'll be gettin' a lot more coin from her!"

"If she were a princess," Zoë said, "then she'd have been caught within a matter of hours for runnin' from home."

"She's a runaway, then?" Wash asked.

"That's what the Captain and I think."

"But if she were a princess…"

"There's no such thing as princesses anymore, Jayne!" Wash's annoyance with their mercenary was beginning to rise.

"He's right," Shepherd Book said. "Every core planet and territory therein is ruled by a democratic government usually under Alliance control. Even the border planets don't have any sort of monarchy."

"She looks rich, though." Jayne just wouldn't stop.

"All it does is make her part of the upper-class," Zoë confirmed. "But somethin' bothers me," she paused for a moment. "If she is a runaway, there would have been files up on her all over the Core by now."

"Then maybe she really is traveling to visit family in Salisbury," Wash said.

"Alone?" Shepherd asked.

Jayne grumbled, this time in agreement. "Docks ain't no place for a girl to be wanderin' around alone."

"Jayne's right," Zoë lowered her voice considerably. "Somethin' here ain't right."

Shepherd gazed at the doorway leading to the dorms. "There's something strange… I don't know, just a feeling when I met her eyes…"

"I think we're all a little wary of her because she's new," Wash said quietly. "But if we all keep a constant eye on her…"

"I can do that," Jayne offered.

"There shouldn't be a problem," Wash finished sourly.

"Wash is right," Zoë said with a calm face. "It won't do any of us good if we play inquisitors. But it's also a good idea to keep our guard up."

"So we do nothin'?" Jayne asked, his forehead creased with confusion.

"Nothin' yet," Zoe affirmed. "But in the meantime, we all need to keep our eyes open…"

* * *

"This will be your room while you stay here," Kaylee said cheerfully as she led Sarah down to the living quarters. "It's a shame the Captain is so uptight about this whole thing." Kaylee pulled the sliding door opened and stepped inside, Sarah quietly followed behind. The room was not much bigger than the one she had grown up with; all it had was a bed, a chest of drawers, and a few rice paper hangings.

"Yes, I'm still very sorry about the inconvenience," Sarah murmured, putting her small bag on the bed.

"Oh," Kaylee waved her apology away with a sweet smile. "Don't worry about it, the captain's almost always in a sour mood. He's just very protective of his crew is all."

"Yes, I've noticed." Sarah picked up a suitcase and opened a drawer to unpack. They both turned their heads at the sound of footsteps coming into the bedroom. Simon stepped into the room with what looked like small paper balls in his hands.

"Here," he said, handing them over to Sarah. "Some extra paper lights."

Sarah took one in her hand and inspected them carefully. They had the same touch and feel of paper, but they were much heavier than little paper lanterns.

"What are they?" she asked.

"They're paper lights," Kaylee said cheerfully. "They're like candles for emergencies, or like a nightlight. But they're much prettier. See!" She reached out and flicked a switch on the underside. The ball suddenly lit up with a warm, golden glow in Sarah's hand.

Sarah smiled at the little ball of light and gently placed it on top of the chest of drawers.

"Can we help you unpack?" Simon asked quietly. Still grinning, Sarah turned and flipped open a suitcase that was lying on the bed. A hoard of fine clothes awaited Kaylee and Simon and he sighed inwardly at the sight. Sarah had certainly brought a lot of things with her, as if she were moving and not really traveling. This was much more than Simon ever brought with him, and he had a sister to top it off.

But Kaylee gazed in awe at all the silks and satins inside Sarah's suitcases. "Oh," she gushed, "look at all your pretties!"

"Thank you," Sarah said modestly. She turned away to place a scarf in the chest, her face flushing. No one had ever complimented her on her choice of clothing. Not even to strike a conversation.

"Are all of these yours?" Kaylee asked breathlessly as Simon watched her reach out for them with a wary eye.

"Yes," Sarah said over her shoulder, folding another piece of clothing into a small square.

"Oh, looks like you're in for a good time at Salisbury!"

Sarah's heart began to beat faster as she felt her face become red hot. "Maybe…"

"You certainly have a lot of clothes here, Sarah," Simon said with a dubious tone of voice.

"I tend to over pack," Sarah replied casually, but her heart was pounding. She suddenly whipped around to pull her clothes out of her suitcases. "Listen, you guys really don't have to help me. I can manage by myself."

"Oh," Kaylee said, looking a bit disappointed. "Right, you probably don't want greasy hands like mine all over your nice things." She laughed a bit in spite of herself, yet her face still blushed slightly in embarrassment.

"Oh, no, it's not that," Sarah reassured. "I just don't want to bother you with my unpacking. I do have a lot of things…"

"Hey, guys!" They could all hear Wash's voice calling from above. "Dinner's on!"

"Oh, great! I'm starving!" Kaylee said eagerly and waited only long enough for Sarah to put the rest of her clothing down before grabbing her hand and eagerly pulling her out of the small room.

Simon waited for them to step out of the room before he followed close behind. Kaylee pulled Sarah up another flight of stairs that was leading up into another part of the ship. She followed her down a narrow corridor before walking into a dining area that was adjacent to a kitchen and small sitting area tucked in the corner. The entire area was hued in a gentle yellow and decorated by stencils of flowers. Sarah looked behind her to find another long corridor that housed the engine room at the very end. She could barely make out a hammock that hung next to the doorway. She turned back to take her seat with the rest of the crew and found yet another long corridor. She tilted her head to get a better look but couldn't make out much.

"Those are our quarters," Kaylee said, seeing the curious look on Sarah's face. "That would be like _Serenity_'s 'neck' I guess. Everyone but Shepherd, Simon, and River sleep up there." Both young women were oblivious to the sour faces nearly every member of the ship was giving her. They all didn't think it was wise to tell a stranger on their ship where they all slept.

The captain was then seen storming down the corridor towards the galley. At the sight of him and his crabby face, Kaylee gently tugged at Sarah's elbow and half-smiled. "You can sit next to me."

Sarah silently yet eagerly sat down at the table, now realizing she was very hungry. She couldn't remember the last time she ate anything. She was so focused on finding a ship to get her out of Persephone she couldn't find the energy to think of food.

There was a swift chatter among the crew mixed in with the scraping of chairs being pulled out and the clink of plates and cups being placed on the table.

Mal roughly pulled out his seat and sat down with a quiet huff. He watched Sarah closely as she hesitantly walked inside the kitchen towards the dinning table and took her seat. He noted that Sarah seemed almost happy to be sitting with his crew. She still looked plenty nervous, but she had a light in her eye that said something differently. However, her manner immediately turned apprehensive as soon the food was placed on the table.

"Ok!" Kaylee exclaimed. "We have some won-ton soup," she placed a large bowl down, "and rice porridge," she set a smaller bowl down in front of Jayne, "and some nice protein." Wash audibly grumbled at the sight of it in front of him. "Oh, and a real treat tonight!" She placed several small pies in the middle of the table for everyone to see. "Some delicious pork pies for us to share." She looked down at Sarah awaiting her approval. Kaylee wanted so badly to make a good impression on Sarah. That _Serenity_ and her crew weren't as meager or unfortunate as they really seemed. She wanted Sarah to feel at home for as long as she was here; which was only a week. But more than anything, she wanted Sarah to become her friend as Inara had once been.

A lump formed in Sarah's throat as she eyed the plates before her warily. She supposed she would have to get used to the food here, as well. They were nothing like the foods or feasts she had in Ariel. But on the other hand, she never shared a meal with anyone like this before. All she could remember were meals taken with Toby in the smaller dining room, or the achingly quiet five-course meals in the banquet hall. She was usually ignored by her family and their guests while she ate in silence.

She half-smiled now and looked up at Kaylee's anxious face. "It looks delicious, thank you so much."

"Oh, you can thank Shepherd for the rice porridge," she replied happily. "You made it yourself, didn't you?"

"Straight from scratch, Miss Kaylee," Shepherd Book said evenly as he took his seat. "And I'll thank you not to eat all of it this time."

A slight murmur of laughter hummed throughout the kitchen. Sarah smiled even wider at the sound. Was this what a family sounded like? Was this what friendship looked like?

As the laughter died down and everyone began to fill their plates with eager looks of hunger, the Captain sat back in his chair and looked up at Sarah. She was trying hard to enjoy the pork pies.

"So," Mal began gruffly. "You got family in Salisbury, Sarah?"

Startled by his voice and the fact he was addressing her, Sarah's head shot up to stare at him. She opened and closed her mouth, keenly aware of the eight pairs of eyes staring at her. "Yes, I have family in Salisbury I'm staying with for a while."

Mal raised one suspicious brow at the hesitance in her voice. She then straightened a bit at the look of apprehension in his face. She smoothed out her expression as best she could and gave him a reassuring smile. "I have an aunt and uncle who live in the Stargazer District," she said. "I haven't seen them in ages."

"Vacation, I take it?" Mal asked sharply.

Sarah ducked her head. "Yes, I suppose so…"

"Good folks, then?" Mal sat back in his chair and swirled his spoon in his broth absently.

"Yes, I mean, it's good of them to take me in for a time."

"For your vacation time," Mal glared at her, "in Salisbury."

"Yes," Sarah stated quite nervously now as she began to see that most of the crew had put their silverware down on the table and stared at her fixedly.

"Not much in Salisbury," Jayne commented abruptly. "Not much for a lady like you to do out there, anyway."

Mal crossed his arms over the edge of the table. "No theaters, no parties, no parks, hell… not even a barn dance to go to."

"I'm not really much of a party person…"

"So, you gonna stay indoors and read all day I take it?" Jayne was staring to jump on board with Mal's interrogation.

Fortunately, the rest of the crew saw this. "Jayne," Zoë frowned at their mercenary. "Take it easy. She's got family there, and whatever she does is her business."

Jayne raised his eyebrows and looked away. Mal flashed a glance at Zoë. She wouldn't dare rebuke her Captain in front of his crew but she gave him a soft, knowing look before she turned back to Sarah.

"It should be nice seeing your family again," Zoë said lightly. "Vacation or not." She gave another sideways glance to just Jayne.

Sarah lowered her gaze to the small portions of food that was set before her. An awkward silence followed Zoë's words

"Excuse me," she said quietly, pushing out her chair.

"Oh," Kaylee said, "are you finished so soon?"

"Yes, I'm a bit tired and I think I'll unpack a bit more before I go to bed." She scanned the rest of the crew, except for the captain, with a sweet smile. "Thank you for dinner. It was very nice of you all to share with me."

Shepherd Book smiled back and reached out to pat her hand. "Think nothing of it. Get some rest, dear."

Sarah turned and quietly walked down the corridor to the dorms, her ebony hair flowing behind her. Nearly the entire watched her leave and when she was out of sight, all of them turned their heads to Mal.

Mal looked up, his eyes darting around his crew. "What?" he asked curtly.

"You know _what_, Captain," Kaylee snapped, shooting up from her seat and snatching an empty bowl from the table.

Mal threw his hands up defensively. "I was just askin' her about Salisbury… thought I was bein' courteous," he mumbled the last words under his breath.

"She's just a child, Mal," said Shepherd Book. "She's alone in the 'verse and at the moment, we're all she's got. She doesn't need to feel threatened here," he narrowed his eyes, "especially by her Captain."

Mal finally threw his fork down and stood from his chair. "You all know how I feel 'bout her bein' on my boat. I don't expect that to change anytime soon." He marched out of the dining area towards his room. "The sooner we get to Salisbury the better."

The rest of the crew sat silently as the door to Mal's room opened with a clang. No one looked at each other until the last of their Captain's footsteps were heard on the ladder leading down to his bunk.

Simon finally looked up and said quietly, "Would someone please pass the soup?"

* * *

Sarah pushed her sliding door closed, sighing deeply as she did do. Her eyes glazing with tears, she started unpacking again. Mechanically, one by one, she took out each piece of fine clothing until her suitcases were empty. When she stowed the cases under her bed, she sank into her new bed.

She couldn't deny the fact that she had been humiliated at dinner by the Captain… in front of everyone. She wasn't so upset by Jayne; she knew the Captain wasn't convinced with her story. He was patronizing her at the dinner table on purpose.

She anxiously rubbed slender fingers over her jade owl for comfort. But very little came. If Mal was not convinced, why were they still heading to Salisbury? Were they even going to Salisbury? Where else could he take her, the Alliance? They would only take her back to Ariel as if she were a lost kitten. Back to her owners who never wanted her in the first place. She was just something pretty to tote around when it was convenient for them.

And what hurt her more than the Captain's demeaning manner tonight was the thought that she was someone different on this ship now. She had changed as soon as she stepped foot on _Serenity_. She was no longer Ivory, the unwanted piece of porcelain kept away on the shelf; she was Sarah, the young woman who shattered that image and finally took control of her own life. And she was not afraid. She smiled briefly at the thought that she was the phoenix who rose from the ashes. The crew saw her as a person, a human being; Kaylee especially saw that.

But as much as she wanted Mal to see this – he didn't. As much as she wanted him to accept her and win her Captain's approval – he wouldn't.

She lay back on her bed and set her weary head on the flat pillow. Perhaps she never rose at all. Perhaps it was another delusional of grandeur, just like her phantom lover. Did he even appear to her that night she left? Or had she imagined or dreamed it? She wanted to be loved and accepted so badly that perhaps she truly did imagine it. She still wanted that love and affection that she had only read about in her childhood books of ancient fairytales. A great sorrow enveloped when she thought that she may never have that; that she may never get to love another or receive it in return.

But she had so much love to give and wanted to give it so much that her heart began to swell. It became so full that it began overflow into her eyes. She fell asleep that way; her eyes flowing with tears until she could feel no more.

Perhaps tonight she would be lucky enough to even dream of the love she pined for...

* * *

Shalom y Amor 


End file.
